Gramlithyn shrugged as he plunked silverware into the dishwasher. “No idea.”
“My mate better be so hot that I come whenever he smiles at me.”
“You’re not thinking about how impractical that would be,” Gramlithyn remarked.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. But it’d still be fun.”
“Be careful what you wish for.”
“Of all the problems to have, I’ll take that one.”
“Definitely far from the worst issue on the planet,” Gramlithyn said, hitting the button to start the dishwasher. The doorbell rang, and Dasan dashed out of the kitchen.
“I’ll wipe the table, you go answer the door,” Dasan instructed.
“On it,” Gramlithyn replied. No one had mentioned inviting guests over, but the D’Vaire family was enormous and close. It wouldn’t be unusual for any of them to pop in to say hello. Gramlithyn pulled open the door and was surprised to find his parents standing in the hallway.
“Hi,” his mother offered with a bright smile. She shoved a basket at him. “We brought you a housewarming gift. I’ve been grabbing things for weeks and tucking them into the basket thinking you’d have a party, but you didn’t, so here we are. Surprise! I hope we’re not interrupting anything.”
“Honestly never occurred to me to have a housewarming party,” Gramlithyn replied as he stepped out of the way to allow them inside the apartment. “Come on in.”
His folks walked in, and Gramlithyn followed in their wake. Ahead of him, he heard the cheerful greetings of his mate and their roommates as they caught sight of Laconifel and Semira.
“Can I get you guys anything to drink?” Gramlithyn asked as he set the basket on the table.
“I guess I don’t have to ask if you have beer?” Semira ventured.
“Are you kidding?” Pyxlevir asked. “I think the centaurs send over a case every couple of days. Either they think we have a serious drinking problem or they give us far too much credit for having friends, because it’s building up in the pantry. Can I grab one for you too, Laconifel?”
“Thanks, Pyxlevir, I’d love one,” Gramlithyn’s father replied.
Before Gramlithyn could get beers for his parents, Pyxlevir was already in the kitchen grabbing beverages.
“We’re glad you stopped by,” Colburn said. “Come have a seat on the couch. We just finished dinner. Dasan and Gramlithyn were nice enough to volunteer to clean up tonight while the rest of us were arguing about what we wanted to watch. Now we can visit with you instead so no one draws blood fighting.”
It saddened Gramlithyn that his friends were more at ease talking to his parents than he was, but he’d lied to them and was defying a tradition they treasured. Would they ever forgive him or understand why he’d left? They adored Pyxlevir, and it wouldn’t make it any easier when they discovered that Gramlithyn’s abandoned mate was the same elf they’d welcomed with open arms since he was six.
So, he kept his trap shut and allowed everyone to get comfortable in the spacious living room. Gramlithyn picked the armchair farthest from the sofa where his parents were sitting. They took the beers Pyxlevir handed them.
“Gramlithyn, Ardusian told us you took a job in his office,” his mother said. “How do you like it?”
“It’s only been a couple of days, but I enjoy working for Ardusian. His assistant, Walker, is great too,” Gramlithyn. “Pyx has been letting me bounce countless questions off him about Elven D’Vaire, which is helping too.”
“Plus, you had lunch with Pyxlevir’s parents too,” Dasan interjected. “Doesn’t hurt to suck up to the big boss.”
Gramlithyn’s parents shared a charged glance, and their disappointment was easy to read. They’d done nothing but support him, and he had repaid them by hurting their feelings and cutting them out of his life. It made him feel small and horrible.
He cleared his throat. “Pyx and I have agreed to grab lunch every day if we can manage it. Maybe you could join us one day next week?”
His mother grinned. “We’d love that.”
“I’ll text you,” Pyxlevir promised. “We’ll figure out a day that works for all of us.”
“So, what’s in the basket you brought?” Dasan asked. “I need to figure out what I want to steal.”
“It’s for all of you,” his mother replied with a chuckle. “There are tons of goodies in there. Some tasty stuff, but a lot of boring stuff I thought five young men could use in their first apartment together. Like I mentioned to Gramlithyn, I thought you’d be having a housewarming party, which is why I didn’t bring it by earlier.”
Pyxlevir’s eyes widened. “Were we supposed to do that?”
